Cairo and the Pyramids

Cairo is one of those cities that you can instantly tell is pure chaos, but in a good way!  The city always feels alive with people hanging around outside their shops at all hours.   The toughest part about Cairo is that it is very difficult to blend in with the locals which of course attracts unwanted attention, especially as a solo female traveler.  This definitely motivated me to find some other backpackers to wander around the city and pyramids with!

The first hostel I stayed at was very nice, and in a perfect location, but I was slightly disappointed that there weren’t many backpackers staying there.  As I walked around the overwhelming area near Tahir Square I decided to switch hostels so I could hopefully meet a better crowd.   On my second day I moved to a hostel called “Wake Up Cairo” which was in close proximity to Tahir Square and the National Museum.  Upon arrival at the hostel I met a lot of great people who I ended up traveling with later during my stay.  Wake Up Cairo had an amazing view of the city and a great vibe.  They also offered a lot of cheap tours throughout the country that I ended up booking.

The next day I went to the Egyptian Museum which was basically across the street from the hostel.  I had heard that you need at least a half day, if not a full day, to cover the entire museum so I figured that I would get an early start.   The museum has 120,000 ancient artifacts, containing the remains of many famous tombs including King Tutankhamun.  There is a separate mummy exhibit that displays mummified bodies of ancient royalty that was an extra cost to the entrance fee.  In my opinion, it was definitely worth it to pay a little extra to see real mummies.  I mean, when else are you going to see that!? 
















During the evening I was talking with a few other backpackers about their obsession with "Egyptian Pizza".  A small group of us ventured out to see if this pizza lived up to the hype.  The guys at the restaurant used filo dough as the base before adding the fresh toppings.  This pizza was AMAZING and pretty cheap (about $3).  I ate it nearly every night I was in Cairo from that point on!

One of the girls, Therese, and I decided to book a private driver for the following day to visit all of the pyramids near Cairo.  On the way to the pyramids we stopped at a viewpoint to see the early morning light.  I love waking up for sunrise in the city because it is the only opportunity to see a calm city!

We arrived bright and early at the Giza Pyramids before all of the tour buses rolled in.  Although I have seen pictures of the pyramids so many times there is nothing like actually being there! With barely any tourists out early it felt like we had the site to ourselves for the first hour which allowed us to take some uninterrupted photos!  

We continued on our pyramid adventure and went to the lesser known Step, Red, and Bent pyramids nearby.  The Step Pyramid in Saqqara is the oldest pyramid in Egypt.  You enter into the complex through a series of pillars which ultimately leads to the pyramid.

After grabbing some lunch we went to the Red Pyramid, located in Dashur.  This was definitely my favorite pyramid because not only could you walk up the steps to get to nearly the top of the pyramid, but you can go inside of the pyramid to explore.  Although the thought of being in such an old structure was a little frightening, it was incredible to experience the inside of a pyramid.

We ended our day by driving past the Bent Pyramid but since we were both so exhausted, we just hopped out of the car for a minute to take a picture before heading back to Cairo.

 During one of my final days in Cairo Therese and I decided to further explore the city, especially the old city area.  We took a 30 minute walk down one of the main streets to arrive in Coptic Cairo, which is a collection of churches, synagogues, and monasteries.  This area felt so different from the rest of Cairo but was certainly worth seeing.

St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Coptic Cairo

Cemetery in Coptic Cairo

From Coptic Cairo we walked to Islamic Cairo to see some of the most famous mosques in the city.  As you approach the area you can see the dramatic high walls of the Mosque of Ibn Tulun.  It is a stunning mosque that has an amazing view of the city.

Front of Mosque of Ibn Tulun

View of Old Cairo

Before walking back we went to the Mosque of Mohammed Aly.  It had a fortress- like feel to it with an open courtyard outside of the mosque.  The inside was absolutely beautiful.  

On the way back to our hostel we ventured into a popular tourist area called Khan El Khalili market.  I was told that you could buy all souvenirs imaginable here.  To be honest, I hated the market and found it way too crowded, touristy, and overpriced!  From the market we attempted to find our way back but were lured into a restaurant by delicious aromas.  The falafels in Cairo were so good! After fueling up we continued walking back when we heard noises coming from an alley.  We peaked in and saw a bar packed with Egyptian men watching the World Cup.  They signaled an "Okay" for us to come in and we had a great time smoking hookah and having a soda with our new friends! It was the perfect ending to an amazing day in Cairo.